Lounging chair



Jan. 8, 1963 MAlJA-LIISA KOMULAINEN 3,0

LOUNGING CHAIR Filed March 2. 1960 IN VEN TOR. /7w, 7- Z #14 X0704 w/Yfn.

United States PatentQ 3,072,435 LOUNGING CHAIR Maiia-Liisa Komulainen, Helsinki, Finland, assignor to Stephen B. Tanner, Bethesda, Md. Filed Mar. 2, 1960, Ser. No. 12,380 2 Claims. (Cl. 297-258) This invention relates to articles of furniture and particularly tubular furniture, and in particular a chair or seat having spaced tubular frames connected by cross rods and having U-shaped end sections at the intersection of a back and seat and wherein the back and seat are covered with fabric webbing.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a chair that may be used in upright or reclining positions and wherein the chair is self-adjusting so that it readily assumes a comfortable position for an occupant therein.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide an article of furniture that is of a new and original design and that is comfortable in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide an article of furniture wherein the weight of an occupant therein causes the chair to assume a balanced position wherein the occupant is comfortable.

Another important object of the invention is to provide an article of furniture formed of spaced tubular frames in which parts of the article are collapsible to facilitate packing, storing and shipping.

A further object of the invention is to provide a chair or seat formed of tubular elements with tubular webbing in which the seat is of simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the invention embodies a chair having spaced side frames connected by cross rods with meeting ends of the frames connected by U-shaped elements and positioned in abutting relation whereby the elements may be connected to provide one type of seat or chair or disconnected to permit a seat of a chair to drop away from a back thereof to increase the comfort of an occupant positioned in a chair.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective View illustrating an improved article of furniture wherein substantially semi-circular side frames are connected with cross bars covered with webbing whereby the weight of an occupant in the chair and also the position of the occupant therein results in the chair assuming a balanced position.

FIGURE 2 is an end elevational view of the chair with the webbing omitted.

FIGURE 3 is a cross section through the chair also with the webbing omitted and taken on line 33 of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a cross section through a portion of the chair taken on line 44 of FIGURE 1 showing the webbing extended around tubes of the side frames.

FIGURE 5 is a view showing a modification wherein the frames are of rectangular shape instead of being arcuate.

FIGURE 6 shows meeting ends of the frames in spaced relation, which position will be obtained with the weight of an occupant on the seat of the chair shown in FIG- URE 5 and with ends of the frame disconnected.

FIGURE 7 is a view illustrating telescoping connections between the tubular members.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts the improved article of furniture of this invention includes substantially semi-circular side frames 10 and 11, each of the frames "ice being provided with straight sections 12 providing a seat and connected to ends of the arcuate bars 10 and 11 by arcuate sections 13 at one end and straight sections 14 connected to opposite ends of the rails or bars 19 and 11 by arcuate sections 15 and the sections 12 and 14 are provided with depending ends 16 and 17 into which upwardly etxended ends 18 and 19 of U-shaped members 20 are positioned.

The arcuate sections 13 of the frames '10 and 11 are connected with cross bars 21 and 22 and the arcuate sections 15, at the opposite ends are connected with similar cross bars 23 and 24. The ends of the cross bars are secured to the side frames by welding or other suitable means, and the bars may be rigid or telescoping.

In the design shown in FIGURE 1, the U-shaped frames 20 are secured together by bolts 25 and 26.

The straight sections 12 and 14 of the side frames and also the arcuate upper ends and U-shaped members are covered with tubular webbing including an inner layer or tube 27, of canvas, duck, or the like and an outer cushioning layer or tube 28 of fabric or other suitable material. The tubular webbing material extends from points 29 on the side frames to lower portions of the U-shaped members 20' connecting the side frames at the center of the chair.

In the design illustrated in FIGURE 5 side frames are provided having spaced sections 30 with vertical posts 31 at the front and 32 at the rear and upper ends of the posts 31 are connected to straight sections 33, similar to the sections 12, with arcuate sections 34 and upper ends of the posts 32 are connected to straight sections 35, similar to the sections 14 by arcuate sections 36. The sections 33 and 35 are provided with straight ends 37 and 38 respectively and the ends 37 and 38 are connected with U-shaped frames 39, ends of which extend upwardly into the ends 37 and 38, similar to the ends of the frames 20, as shown in FIGURE 3.

Upper ends of the posts 31 at the front of the seat or chair are connected by a cross bar 40, similar to the bars 21 and 22, of the design shown in FIGURE 1 and upper ends of the posts 32 are connected by a similar cross bar 41, similar to the bars 23 and 24.

The seat and back portions of the chair, shown in FIG- URE 5 are covered with Webbing, as indicated by the numerals 42 and 43 which may be provided in single or double layers as may be desired,

As illustrated in FIGURE 6 the weight of a person on the seat portion 42, causes the U-shaped section, as indicated by the numerals 43 to move downwardly whereby the section is separated from the corresponding section 44 at the lower end of the back 43. With the parts 43 and 44 separated greater resiliency is obtained in the seat portion, however, it will be understood that these portions may be bolted together, similar to corresponding parts of the seat shown in FIGURE 1,

It will be understood that the frames may be provided in other designs to form chairs or seats for other purposes and it will also be understood that the frames may be made of solid instead of tubular material and the members of the frames may be of other shape in cross section.

It will be understood that other modifications, within the scope of the appended claims, may be made in the design and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An article of furniture comprising spaced parallel complementary semi-circular runners connected by cross bars and having inwardly extended seat sections integrally connected to one of the ends thereof and inwardly extended back sections integrally connected to opposite ends thereof, the seat and back sections having depending end o sections positioned substantially at the center of the article of furniture, U-shaped sections positioned with ends thereof slidably connected to the depending ends of the seat and back sections, and fabric extended over the seat and back sections.

2. In an article of furniture, a pair of similar spaced parallel side frames, each of said side frames embodying arcuate sections terminating in straight sections, cross bars connecting said pair of side frames together, end portions depending from said straight sections and said end portions being arranged angularly with respect to said straight sections, U-shaped members connected to said depending end portions, and fabric like material on said U-shaped members, depending end portions, straight sections and arcuate sections.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Morris Mar. 4, Chernivsky Aug. 19, Hetchler Sept. 30,

FOREIGN PATENTS France May 18, Germany Sept. 10, France Jan. 28, France Jan. 10, France Jan. 7, France Apr. 21,

(Addition to No. 1,022,395) 

1. AN ARTICLE OF FURNITURE COMPRISING SPACED PARALLEL COMPLEMENTARY SEMI-CIRCULAR RUNNERS CONNECTED BY CROSS BARS AND HAVING INWARDLY EXTENDED SEAT SECTIONS INTEGRALLY CONNECTED TO ONE OF THE ENDS THEREOF AND INWARDLY EXTENDED BACK SECTIONS INTEGRALLY CONNECTED TO OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF, THE SEAT AND BACK SECTIONS HAVING DEPENDING END SECTIONS POSITIONED SUBSTANTIALLY AT THE CENTER OF THE ARTICLE OF FURNITURE, U-SHAPED SECTIONS POSITIONED WITH ENDS THEREOF SLIDABLY CONNECTED TO THE DEPENDING ENDS OF THE SEAT AND BACK SECTIONS, AND FABRIC EXTENDED OVER THE SEAT AND BACK SECTIONS. 